Effects of the three-child policy on the employment bias against professional women: evidence from 260 enterprises in Jiangxi province

Based on the samples from 260 enterprises in Jiangxi Province in 2022, this study examines the enterprises’ employment attitudes towards female employees from the perspective of HR managers. Through factor analysis, one-way analysis of variance, product-moment correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis, this study investigates the female employment bias and its underlying mechanism across five dimensions: employee change, career development bias, policy impact, job competency and gender bias. The research findings confirm the employment bias against professional women by employers. The study reveals that the implementation of China’s three-child policy has exacerbated employment bias against female employees, especially in male-dominated enterprises. It is therefore recommended to provide more preferential policies for such enterprises. Furthermore, job competency has a significant negative correlation with gender employment bias. Continuing education and skills training are effective measures for professional women of childbearing age, particularly those in low-skilled jobs. With the further implementation of the three-child policy, this study anticipates a more challenging employment or promotion prospects for professional women. This study has also indirectly confirmed the employment dilemma of professional women of childbearing age, indicating potential obstacles in achieving the intended outcomes of the three-child policy.